The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

December 12 is National Call-In Day for Election Reform

Feature Story by Tia Sumler - 12/11/2001

Washington, DC-- The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) is calling on members of the Senate to support minimum national standards that ensure that every eligible American who wants to vote can, and that his or her vote is counted. To this end, LCCR is urging citizens across the nation to contact their Senators’ offices Wednesday December 12, and ask them to support the efforts of Senators Dodd, Bond, McConnell and Schumer to enact bipartisan election reform legislation.

"Voting is at the core of our democracy," said Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. "Congress has an obligation to ensure that voting is fair and accurate for all. Americans are rightly concerned about the new challenges facing our democracy. Our leaders need also to tend to long-standing obstacles to democracy here at home. Meaningful election reform should not be delayed."

National election reform advocates are concerned that Congress is close to adjourning for the year without addressing the very serious flaws of the United States' election systems. However, the United States Senate is about to consider historic, bipartisan legislation that would, for the first time, provide federal funds to states and counties for running elections.

Unfortunately, comprehensive election reform in the House, championed by Rep. John Conyers, has been overshadowed by what civil rights organizations are calling “watered-down reform legislation” introduced by Reps. Ney and Hoyer. The hope for minimum election standards, effective enforcement mechanism, and supportable fraud provisions rests with Sen. Christopher Dodd and his colleagues in the Senate.

The specific concerns expressed by the civil rights community include demands for comprehensive election reform that includes minimum federal standards for provisional balloting; voting systems that allow people with disabilities, language minorities, and others to cast a secret ballot; and voting systems that notify voters of mis-cast ballots and allows them to correct their ballot before it is cast. In addition, advocates say for any bill to be truly inclusive it must include access for voters with disabilities to polling places.

The Leadership Conference also notes that concerns about voter fraud must be addressed. “Reform that makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat would include a statewide computerized voter registration list that is linked to polling places, strong purge protections to protect legal voters, and minimum standards for voting systems,” said LCCR Executive Director Wade Henderson.

LCCR is directing voters who want to support fair, comprehensive reform to call 1-877-703-9491. Callers will either be directly connected with their Senator's office or you will be connected to the Capitol switchboard, where they should ask for their Senator's office.